Are you getting the general idea? It is all I can think about. Something about the weather, planning on going to Colorado for Christmas, etc etc.

I might even try my hand at making some of the above, if I can ever find all of the ingredients.Questions for those living in France:Is shortening Fruit d'or for example?can brown sugar be found? (and not just sugar that is brown?)Does pâte sablée really taste like pie crust to you (because to me it tastes different).

Fall is always the hardest time for me as far as homesickness is concerned. I never was a big Fall-lover back in the US. Yes, the leaves are pretty. Yes it is nice to have Halloween and Thanksgiving, blah blah blah. I would have always have said that I was a Spring Gal.But now I miss stuff like hot apple cider and knowing that football games are on (even if I don't give a flying patoie who is playing or why or when) and Halloween decorations, etc.At least we are planning on going home for Christmas. (once I get over the price-shock and actually grit my teeth and order the tickets. Wow prices have gone up in 2 years!)

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I don't know about shortening, but brown sugar can definitely be found. I buy the "Béghin Say Saveur Vergeoise" sugar, and as long as you get the "Brune" kind and not the vanilla, it's a pretty darn good brown sugar substitute!

There is not shortening in France, as far as I can tell. I just always replaced it with something like "Fruit d'or" or "Fleurier" and things turned out all right. There is a fatty substance called something like "Vegeline" that I think is mainly for frying -- I've wondered if that might be a shortening replacement, but I've never tried.

If you want to pack your brown sugar, I second Sam: you need to find "vergeoise." It can be dark or light, but I guess that's the same in the USA. However, when I was first in France, I couldn't find vergeoise and just used "cassonade" in cookies and stuff, and things turned out all right even though it can't be packed.

You can really make MOST of those things at home -- not sure about biscuits, though!

You can definitely find brown sugar (Saveur Vergeoise Brune), but not many stores carry it. I've only been able to find it at Intermarche and once at LeClerc. It comes in a bag about half the size of normal sugar/flour bags.

I use Végétaline in recipes calling for shortening, like peanut butter cookies. It seems to work fine. It is intended to be used in fryers for making French fries, but as long as you don't tell any French people that you used it for cookies or whatever, you'll be fine. :)